Indian Medical Council Updates Professional Regulations to Limit AI in Consultations

Jun 17, 2020 | Srivats Shankar

The Indian Medical Council updated its professional regulations prescribe when doctors can use AI in consultations

On May 12, 2020, the Indian Medical Council updated its Professional Regulations, the “Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020.” The guidelines also include an update on telemedicine, as per clause 5. It regulates “registered medical practitioners” who use technology to communicate with patients. The guidelines require any telemedicine to patients are only communicating with registered medical practitioners, taking due diligence to ensure compliance with all of the regulations.

However, in addition to that it contains a specific reference to artificial intelligence:

Technology platforms based on Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning are not allowed to counsel the patients or prescribing medicine to a patient. Only a [Registered Medical Practitioner] is entitled to counsel or prescribe and has to directly communicate with the patient in this regard. While new technology such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, advanced data science based decision support systems etc. could assist and support a [Registered Medical Practitioner]…, the final prescription or counseling has to be directly delivered by the [Practitioner]

The regulations require medical practitioners to provide the prescription themselves, although it does allow for technology to assist in the decision-making.

Filed Under

Medicine

Related

Latest

European Union adopts AI Committee Recommendations on AI Act

Srivats Shankar | May 02, 2022

The European Parliament adopted the recommendations of the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Age providing a roadmap until the year 2030 regarding its impact on climate change, healthcare, and labor relations

A picture of a cube representing digital markets

European Union Reaches Agreement on Digital Markets Act

Srivats Shankar | Mar 26, 2022

European Union reaches political agreement to introduce Digital Markets Act.

The “Top Ten Tech” Priorities: Britain’s New AI Strategy

Maathangi Hariharan | Mar 22, 2021

Read On

Terminology

Deepfake

/diːpfeɪk/

Artificial General Intelligence

/ˌɑːtɪfɪʃl ˈdʒɛn(ə)r(ə)l ɪnˈtelɪɡəns/

Artificial Intelligence

/ˌɑːtɪfɪʃl ɪnˈtelɪɡəns/

More Terminology